Long range, precision shooting is a skill that requires extensive training and the use of repeated shots at a target or a plurality of targets. Ideally, targets used for such training are reusable and due to the high velocity of long range firearm ammunition, long range targets must be constructed of highly durable materials. Due to the relatively long distances involved in target training, often in excess of 500 yards, recovery of the target to inspect for hits after a selected number of shots to judge the shooter's accuracy is impractical unless the shooter is willing to wait the time necessary for the target area to be cleared of shooters and for travel to be made to the location of the target so that the target may be inspected. Time necessary for such an inspection does not permit the shooter to make real-time adjustments or to examine his or her position or settings in real-time in order to make necessary adjustments.
Military groups may employ long range metal targets made from sheets of R5400 steel or Hardox, generally approximately 1 cm thick. The targets can be suspended from A-frames or other similar suspension devices and placed at certain known distances from the shooting position. Such targets are often too far away for the shooter or others to visually ascertain the quality or quantity of a hit from the shooter's position without the use of a spotting scope or some other enhanced optical device. The use of a spotting scope or other enhanced optical device is cumbersome and time consuming for the shooter and does not provide the opportunity for the shooter to make adjustments based on feedback from the target being provided in real-time.
At very long ranges, in excess of 500 yards, however, the skill of the shooter and the consistency of the ammunition is often not enough to insure that the shooter will hit the target. In such situations, real-time feedback from the target can be helpful to determine what adjustments may be necessary under certain shooting conditions.
Some of the factors impacting accuracy, where real-time feedback is particularly helpful include “bullet drop.” “Bullet drop” is caused by the influence of gravity on the moving bullet and is characterized by a bullet path which curves toward earth over long ranges. Therefore, to hit a target at long range, it may be necessary to elevate the barrel of the weapon, and the aiming point, to adjust for bullet drop.
Other factors, such as wind, Magnus effect (i.e., a lateral thrust exerted by wind on a rotating bullet whose axis is perpendicular to the wind direction), projectile design, projectile spin, Coriolis effect, and the idiosyncrasies of the weapon or projectile can change the projectile's path over long range. Such effects are generally referred to as “windage” effects. Therefore, for example, to hit a target at long range, it may be necessary to correct for windage by moving the barrel of the weapon slightly to the left or the right to compensate for windage effects. When shooting East and West the elevation will be effected. Shooting due East, the bullet impact will be high. Shooting due West, the bullet impact will be low. The elevation at extended range might change slightly up or down depending on the spin of the projectile in a right hand or left hand twist barrel. Thus, for example, in order to hit a target at long range, the shooter must see the target, accurately estimate the range to the target, estimate the effect of bullet drop and windage effects on the projectile, and use this information to properly position the barrel of the firearm prior to squeezing the trigger. In all these situations, obtaining real-time feedback from the target can be helpful in making necessary adjustments.
Sometimes long range targets may be configured to provide audio feedback, but audio feedback can be misinterpreted and mishits may be recorded as hits using audio feedback. For example, sometimes rocks or other debris may come into contact with the target, making a sound when it hits the target. In such cases, the round may not have hit the target, but the debris may nevertheless be recorded as a hit.
There are other problems with targets configured to provide audio feedback. Principally, these targets generally have no capacity to provide precision location information for hits. Meaning, they do not provide accurate information regarding what part of the target was hit. Additionally, these targets are hard to use in relatively noisy locations such as in busy shooting ranges or in heavy training drills where multiple shooters are training to engage the closely positioned targets.
The percussive force of a long range firearm round is jarring and can dislodge or damage the target. Due to the high velocity of long range rounds, the metal targets used are subjected to significant momentary deformation upon impact which generates severe vibrations in the target. These vibrations are so severe that they often lead to damage of bolted or welded connections on the target, for example for the connection to the target suspension structure. In long range targets, cracking and failure of bolts and welds are commonly observed after even a short period of use, due to this severe vibration or stress
Long range targets, although constructed to withstand impact without penetration are often also permanently deformed, especially when used at the close end of the target range. Such permanent deformations place additional strain on the target already stressed by the repeated vibration load and accelerate target disintegration. Thus, using laminated structures and/or specialized pockets directly attached to the target for mounting devices to a long range target are undesirable, since they may not be able to reliably withstand repeated use of the target.
Additionally, for shooting competitions, the range operator or scorekeeper cannot always tell whether the target has been hit. This is especially true during competitions held in bad visibility conditions or over long ranges in excess of 1000 or 1500 yards. In such a case, the scorekeeper or range operator must use a spotting scope and scoring takes time away from other activities. Furthermore, spectators are largely unable to see hits in real-time during competition.
There is a need, therefore, for durable, reusable targets for use in long range shooting that can withstand multiple hits and can provide feedback to the shooter on a real-time basis regarding the hit, and in particular the quality or location of the hit. There is also a need to provide information from the target to the shooter in real-time that may be used to adjust for the effects of windage, bullet drop, Magnus effect, and other anomalies impacting the accuracy of shooting at long range. Finally, there exists a need for an interactive target that can display and confirm hits via a color coordinated lighting system which is not only viewable from the shooting position, but visible to spectators and shooting range operators or score keepers without the use of a spotting scope or other optical devices.